35 Children Who Believe in
Their Real Dad
From kindergarten entrance interviews to middle school graduation.
A record of watching over children for 8 years.
What Is a Rental Father?
"It's wrong that children are disadvantaged simply because they don't have a father." This conviction is what drove Yuichi Ishii to start as a rental father.
In Japanese society, a father's presence is expected in many situations. Kindergarten entrance interviews, elementary school class observations, middle school parent-teacher conferences, high school career counseling — there are countless occasions where "both parents present" is the unspoken expectation.
Children of single mothers are placed at a disadvantage just for that reason. Some children feel ashamed of not having a father. Every time Ishii sees a child looking down and saying, "We don't have a dad at our house," his heart aches.
That is why Ishii "lends" himself as a father.
"What I do is bridge the inequality in society. Children shouldn't suffer just because they don't have a father. I want to eliminate even a little of that injustice."
— Yuichi Ishii
"Dad" to 35 Children
Currently, more than 35 children believe Yuichi Ishii is their real father.
From a 3-year-old girl to 16-year-old high schoolers. Ishii lives as "Dad" in more than 25 families.
His first child was a 3-year-old girl he met in 2004. A single-mother friend asked him to attend her kindergarten entrance interview. That girl is now an adult.
"That child is now grown up, living her own life. When I think about it, I feel a strange sense of wonder."
35 children. Each with a different personality, different preferences, different worries. Ishii meticulously notes every detail about each child — their favorite foods, least favorite subjects, close friends' names, current interests — everything a "real father" would know.
Children Who Believe
He is their real father
"I remember all 35 children's birthdays. Their favorite characters, the vegetables they hate, their dreams for the future. Everything a real father would know — I know it too."
— Yuichi Ishii
8 Years as a Father
The Longest Case
A record of watching a child grow from kindergarten through middle school over 8 years
There is one case that has continued for over 8 years.
He first met the child before kindergarten entrance. Now, the child is in middle school.
For 8 years, Ishii has watched this child grow. The day they first rode a bicycle. Elementary school entrance ceremony. Winning first place at sports day. The announcement of passing the middle school entrance exam.
"I have been there for every milestone in that child's life."
Over 8 years, Ishii has come to know everything about the child. Favorite anime, friendships, future dreams, even romantic interests — the child tells him everything.
But Ishii is not the "real father." That fact remains unchanged.
"Someday the truth will have to be told. So that when that day comes, these 8 years won't be seen as meaningless — I give my all as a father every single day."
Key Milestones Over 8 Years
Kindergarten Entrance Interview
The first encounter that started it all
First Bicycle Ride
Practicing together until success
Elementary School Entrance Ceremony
Moved by seeing the child with a school bag
Victory at Sports Day
Won first place in the parent-child race
Passing the Middle School Entrance Exam
Celebrating the result of hard work together
"Facing one child for 8 years — you can't understand the weight of that unless you've done it. Part of my life overlaps with that child's life."
— Yuichi Ishii
The Challenge of School Events
Class Observations
Conversations with other parents are the real challenge. Casual questions like "You're so-and-so's dad, right? What do you do for work?" create immense pressure.
Sports Day
Participating in parent-child races together. "Dad, you have to win first place!" — he must live up to that expectation.
Parent-Teacher Meetings
Discussing the child's future with teachers. He is expected to give appropriate opinions as a "father" about grades, career paths, and personality.
For a rental father, school events are the ultimate challenge.
Ishii prepares thoroughly in advance. Meetings with the mother, checking on the child's recent situation, gathering information about the school. He takes every precaution to avoid any hint of unnaturalness.
"But the hardest part is being compared to the other fathers."
Around him are "real fathers." Fathers rushing from work, fathers carrying their children on their shoulders, fathers awkwardly recording videos. They aren't "acting." Only Ishii is performing.
Pre-Event Preparation Checklist
"When I run hand-in-hand with a child at sports day, I wonder: Do I really have the right to hold this hand? But then the child smiles innocently. And when I see that smile, the doubt disappears."
— Yuichi Ishii
Children's Growth and Ishii's Inner Conflict
Innocent Trust
Never doubts "Daddy." Any adult who plays with them becomes "Dad."
Specific Questions
"Dad, why don't you live with us?" "What's your job?" The questions become more concrete.
Sharp Intuition
Teenagers are perceptive. They develop an intuition: "Are you hiding something?"
Children grow. That is the greatest difficulty for a rental father.
Ishii continually updates his "father persona" as children grow. A playmate in early childhood. A tutor in elementary school. A life advisor in middle school.
"Every time a child grows, I must grow too."
And a child who has grown may one day discover the "truth." When that day comes, what should Ishii say?
Father Roles by Age
"If a grown child says 'Dad, tell me the truth,' I won't lie. I'll tell them everything. Whether they think, 'The time I spent with Dad wasn't wasted' — that, I believe, is the measure of my work."
— Yuichi Ishii
The Weight of "I Love You, Dad"
"I Love You, Dad"
Ishii has heard these words hundreds of times
In the beginning, every time he heard those words, his heart ached. He felt guilty: "I'm not their real father."
But now, things are different.
"I've come to believe those words are meant for me."
When a child says "I love you, Dad," it may not be directed at "Yuichi Ishii." But the love for "the adult who plays with me" and "the person who cares about me" is real.
And the love Ishii feels for the children is also real. Even though the relationship began with a contract, spending time together creates attachment. Watching them grow makes them truly precious.
"Even without a blood connection, love can be born. I learned that through this work."
The Evolution of Love
In the Beginning
His heart ached with guilt: "I'm not their real father"
Now
Accepting the real love that can be born even without a blood connection
Ishii's Realization
Even a relationship that starts with a contract can nurture real love through spending time together. Here exists a form of family that transcends blood ties.
"When they say 'I love you, Dad,' I say 'I love you too.' That's not acting. I truly feel that way. We're not connected by blood, but we're connected by love."
— Yuichi Ishii
Cooperation with Mothers
Detailed Briefings
The child's personality, preferences, taboos, school situation, friendships — everything must be shared.
Building the Backstory
How they met, marriage story, reason for living apart, occupation — every detail must be consistent.
Emotional Support
Standing alongside single mothers in their struggles, telling them: "You're doing an amazing job."
Being a rental father is impossible alone. Cooperation with the mother is essential.
"Without a trusting relationship with the mother, this work cannot function."
Many single mothers come to him only after reaching their limits. "I wanted to raise my child alone" — "But for my child's sake..." — they carry such inner conflict.
Ishii empathizes with the mother's feelings. He tells them: "You're doing more than enough" and "Making this decision for your child makes you a wonderful mother."
Information Shared
"Single mothers are often judged by society. 'Why did you get divorced?' 'Why can't you raise the child alone?' — they face those voices constantly. I don't judge. I simply stand beside them as a partner in raising their child."
— Yuichi Ishii
The Limits of Father Proxy
"Dad, are you leaving again today?"
To this question, Ishii can only answer: "Yes, but I'll come again."
There are limits to being a rental father.
Ishii cannot be a "father who's there every day." He is a "father" who appears a few times a month for school events and special occasions. He is not part of the everyday scenery.
He closes the door while looking at the child's lonely face.
"All I can do is place dots."
Not a continuous line of daily presence, but occasional dots. A dot called sports day, a dot called birthday, a dot called entrance ceremony. He makes each dot as vivid and bright as possible. That is the best Ishii can do.
But it is the child who connects the dots. "I'm glad Dad was there that time" — that memory becomes a line in the child's heart.
Dots and Lines
What Ishii Can Do
Place vivid "dots" that make special moments — sports days, birthdays, entrance ceremonies — the best they can be
What the Child Does
Connect those "dots" in their memories, weaving them into a "line" of love
Ishii's Belief
Even if he can't be there every day, by making each "moment of presence" the best it can be, he can leave lasting value in a child's heart.
"I can't be a father who's there every day. But I can make the moments I am there the best they can be. If, when the child grows up, they think 'I'm glad Dad was there that time' — that is enough."
— Yuichi Ishii
Stories of Father Proxy
35 children, 25 families. Each with a unique form of love.
35 Children
35 children who believe Ishii is their real father. He lives as "Dad" in each of their families.
8-Year Journey
From kindergarten entrance to middle school. The longest ongoing father assignment, watching a child grow for over 8 years.
School Events
Sports days, parent-teacher meetings, class observations. The responsibility and joy of attending school events as a "father."
The Truth Someday
The secret cannot be kept forever. When that day comes, what should be said?
25 Families
Playing a different "father" in 25 different households. A unique form of love tailored to each family.
Watching Growth
First bicycle rides, victories at sports day, passing entrance exams. Sharing joy and tears together.
Learn More
Love and conflict born in the field of father proxy.
Explore the details in his published works.